Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Lynn Wigglesworth on August 18, 2011 at 1:40am

Why do you think that? In most areas most people allow the seismic survey. I saw a map of my section of Delmar Township and I'd say 95% was leased to Shell...almost no one in this area is against drilling.  From the map I saw, and just driving around, Delmar township is almost completely covered with units now.

 

Westfield may be a different case, with all the storage leases. I don't have a good feel for how much of the land up there is included in Dominion's storage ares, but no one will be interested in doing a seismic survey until they have leased the land. And the storage leases seem to be making it less attractive for gas drilling. 

Permalink Reply by Ann Ticopa on August 18, 2011 at 5:31am

Seismic testing is not necessarily a positive; it's used to exclude as well as include.  As of 8/1, there have been no new permits this year  in one township that was tested last summer.  This is the reason some advise unleased landowners not to allow testing ... particularly if they are in what's thought to be a marginal area. 

 

A few gaps aren't going to stop testing.  Some could be filled in using thumper trucks on the public roads, which doesn't require landowner permission. 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by William Ladd on August 19, 2011 at 2:14am

I am talking about shell drilling holes about 350 feet apart over about a 300 square mile area and setting off explosive charges about 50 feet deep. I was told that it was to be a "saturation" siesmic operation to pinpoint possible and much closer to the gas deposit areas before they drill.

Westfield township was included in this 300 square mile test area.

 

Or did Shell just throw away their money by hiring someone to sign up landowners in westfield township area for siesmic testing by explosive charges  if they had no intention to explore for gas deposits anyway?

 

 

 

 

The comment about landowners digging in their heels against drilling was more about New York state landowners then here in Pennsylvania. Sorry not to have clarified the area I was thinking of when I made that statement.

 

Bill L.

aka Bummy

Permalink Reply by Ann Ticopa on August 19, 2011 at 4:29am

Unless they were going to do something different there, it's 20' deep rather than 50'.  In some places, 50' would hit water and in others (like here) that would be a lot of rock to drill through.  Part of the seismic that East scheduled in eastern TC last year was cancelled.   Here, it was after they had marked the shot holes.    My best guess is that the reason was the steep, rocky terrain with lots of spring seeps.  Had it been a place they absolutely wanted to do, they could have used a helicopter to lift the drill from from shot hole to shothole.  Instead, they cut their losses ... for now.

 

I would think that a good bit of the seismic testing in NYS has already been done under existing T/BR leases. 

Permalink Reply by paleface on August 19, 2011 at 8:40am

 Long consulting told me they were starting south and east that would be around Wellsboro and then moving north and west so westfield would be at the end of the job.

Permalink Reply by Lynn Wigglesworth on August 19, 2011 at 10:35am

Someone who just drove up from Liberty said that there are 'wires, black boxes, and about 30 people working' all along 287 from Morris up to Balsam Road somewhere. He said that it's just along the road, though....he didn't see any paths or flags off the road.

Permalink Reply by William Ladd on August 20, 2011 at 2:51am

A couple years ago thumper trucks were set up both north and east of us. along routes 49 and 249. It almost seems as if the lines were set out right along the main street of westfield too. I dont know if these thumpers were set up to the west or to the south of Westfield.

 

I suppose that some kind of deal was made between dominion and shell to allow a siesmic blanket of explosive charges be set off in order to determine what kind deposits might lie below the storage area and also under the marcellus shale.

 

At any rate the landowners will be kept in the dark as long as possible. and probably much dis-information distributed about their findings anyway.

 

Bill L.

aka Bummy